SIMON DUGGAN ACS

Born:
13 May 1959, Wellington, New Zealand.

Career:
Worked as c.asst with John Seale, Dean Semler,
Peter James, a.o. on commercial projects. Was c.asst & c.op working with doph Graham
Lind. Started as doph with Ross Wood Film Studios, Sydney, Australia [1978-89].

"We had to create the impression of speed for Will Smith's vehicle, simulating
travel effects as tunnel lights flash past," says Duggan. "We tested
multiple light sources, but nothing was really convincing. My gaffer, Owen
Taylor, came up with the idea of using [a mounted system incorporating Vari-Lite
VL3000 spot luminaires]."

Filmmakers
conducted a practical pre-visualization session in Vancouver before the shoot
got underway. Q1 Production Technologies, Vancouver, provided them with 12
Vari-Lite VL3000s, with Q1's Tracey Ploss operating the automated devices to
create the strobing effect on a small version of the real set.

"It
was easy to program different effects into the lights from the remote control
desk," says Duggan. "We were impressed, so we went with it."

For
the chase scene, stationary vehicles were mounted on hydraulic gimbals on the
tunnel set, built so they could tilt in any direction and spin 360 degrees.
Filming green-screen, Duggan used 42 VL3000s to create the strobing speed effect
outside the car. The crew mounted the lights to a dual 50ft. run of diffused
panels, and Tracey Ploss varied the strobing speeds.

"We
had two overhead banks of lights, with small separation between the light
fixtures to give it a bit of a shadow effect, and it was very effective creating
the movement of light through a tunnel at high speeds," says Duggan.
"In the big chase scene, we paced the amount of strobing and contrast to
build up to a crescendo. It was almost tactical strobing as the robot attack
speeds up, all done in-camera." [From the digitalcontentproducer.com website.]